A man was stabbed five times after turning up at a house party, a court heard today.

One knife wound punctured his chest during the alleged bid to kill him at Rathmore Gardens in Antrim early on Saturday, police said.

Details emerged as 27-year-old Paul Catherwood was remanded in custody charged with his attempted murder. Catherwood, of Mourne View Park in Lisburn, is also accused of slashing at two women during the incident.

He claims to have acted in self-defence after being attacked with a hammer at the scene near his sister’s home. Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard the stabbed man required surgery after suffering multiple wounds.

A detective constable said: “There were five injuries, one of the most severe punctured his chest quite close to his heart.”

Opposing bail, she said the incident was aggravated by alcohol and involved an alleged element of sectarianism. Catherwood faces further counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

He allegedly inflicted two knife wounds to the arm of one of the women, the court heard. The detective added: “Another said she had to take evasive action to stop him when he was approaching her with the knife, making a slashing motion.”

A defence solicitor said Catherwood was at a party in his sister’s home when a man arrived and started knocking on the windows.

“He was attacked with a hammer and went to defend himself,” the lawyer claimed.

Statements from others at the scene allegedly back up his version of events, according to the solicitor. But refusing bail, District Judge Ken Nixon cited the potential risk of re-offending. He remanded Catherwood in custody to appear again by video-link on June 6.